Africa Inland Mission Canada
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Africa Inland Mission Canada Christ-centered churches among all African peoples God work@ God at Work Dan Baetz Canadian Director It is not every day you meet a former child soldier! He told me of his abduction at fourteen years old, years of living hidden in the bush “For the Kingdom of God along with his ‘army’, his own killing of six is not a matter of talk, people, and finally his miraculous escape. As a but of power” young man, he heard the gospel message and 1 Corinthians 4:20 experienced the ‘life transforming’ forgiveness – and now a new purpose to become a pastor! When God demonstrates his power in the affairs of everyday life, His kingdom is advancing. Additionally, I have been encouraged to see God at work in the following ways. • As people continue to pray for the “Lord of the harvest to send forth workers”, we see new people called, processed to work with AIM and then sent out to the field. This is very praiseworthy in light of the challenges to missions in today’s Canadian context. • The Lord providing support for new and returning missionaries that, humanly speak- ing, looked impossible at first (and second) glance. • Hiring of excellent new staff. Finding people with a heart for missions and the skill sets required is a “God-thing”! • Hearing of Africans coming to know the Lord, being grounded in the Word, becoming ‘oaks of righteousness’ – being used to plant new churches and strengthen existing ones! • Seeing our Africa based personnel be ‘strong in the Lord’ in spite of extremely challenging conditions and sometimes persecution. • Seeing the enthusiasm and response of new Canadian campers for our CAMP RHINO and CAMP SOAR – many of whom have never been to a camp or heard the Gospel. God is at work! Thank you for your partnership in the Gospel! Partners Together in the Work of God letters from the mission field CENTRAL AFRICA Laura Hickey writes…..It is good to focus on our great God who is in control of the universe and of Central Africa. He knows the situation of each of the countries that we work in and what each person is going through. He cares about the refugees and those in areas that have been devastated by fighting and unrest. Those who are ill have been going through difficult experiences. We also rejoice to hear from some teams that people are responding to the gospel message. GOD IS AT WORK! Democratic Republic of Congo Rosemary Walker reports that she…continues to enjoy interacting with many friendly Congolese and witnessing to young motorcycle taxi men as they drive me out to school or home again. She recently taught Introduction to Computers, English Conversation classes, and weekly Bible studies at a teachers’ training college. The computer class was a challenge, with only 3 computers available at the school, no elec- tricity in the classroom most of the time, and no internet connection at the school. Happily, for the last few lessons we were able to get electricity in the class by a long cable powered by some old batteries and solar panels. PRAISE FOR GOD’s HELP IN TEACHING…. Another Canadian missionary in DRC requested prayer as she left Bunia for the Northern re- gion in Congo where she joined other leaders in women’s ministry on a three week outreach exercise. They visited four districts, hosting four three day seminars for female church lead- ership. In each district Abbie Desloges led seminars on community development, strategic planning and nutrition. Her prayer request was for the women to be courageous in using what they learned in their communities. UGANDA Canadian missionaries, Brian and Jessica Myrholm are serving in Uganda with an African organization whose goal is to raise up, train and send African missionaries. They write, Some very exciting news this year is that six of our Global Link Afrika missionary interns who served over the past year have signed up for another year. This is a record for us, as we have historically not had more than one intern per year sign up for a second term… it feels like we are gaining momentum. Our God is at Work! Committed to God’s Service A Canadian pilot with a big heart…and a big dream to serve God in Africa. Colin Gilmore from Okotoks, Alberta is pursuing a steadfast commitment to serve God in mission aviation. He continues to pursue the mandatory training in aircraft maintenance and flight skills for flying with AIM AIR. This dream began with an opportunity to fly an airplane while on a mission trip to Greece. By 2004, he received confirmation from God that serving in missions was part of the plan for his life. Colin is married to Shelby, and together with their daughter and son, they are pursuing the dream of ministry in Africa. AIM AIR is the aviation arm of Africa Inland Mission operating 6 aircraft from 3 strategic bas- es in Kenya and Uganda, providing service within Kenya, Uganda, South Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo and Central African Republic. AIM AIR operates in inhospitable terrain, areas which are often difficult to get to by vehicle. To serve as a missionary pilot requires a high level of competency in flying in remote and undeveloped areas that is only achieved after a high degree of training. The team at AIM AIR strive to bring hope and the good news to some areas of the world where the most forgotten people reside. AIM AIR serves more than 50 Christian organisations and hundreds of missionaries in the following roles: • As a lifeline for transporting people and supplies. • Emergency evacuations • Airlift for medical and humanitarian equipment and supplies. Before the Gilmores can depart for Africa (Oct. 2018) Colin needs flight hours in particular aircraft and 3 months of specialized training in the U.S. The training costs to be an AIM AIR pilot are high so Colin will be the recipient of funds raised by AIM Canada’s participation in the 2017 Ride for Refuge campaign. Visit www.rideforrefuge.ca for more information. If you prefer to give directly to AIM for this project, choose one of the options listed on page 9. Donor Development Ministry Keith & Christine Tennant At ten or eleven years old I was a delivery boy for the Winnipeg Free Press newspaper. I also sold greeting cards for the Regal Greeting Card Company. I had a good little business selling to some newspaper customers and relatives. A poor widow living in a run-down home was part of my newspaper route, and, feeling generous one day, I gave her the box of sample cards and went on my way. Stopping at my grandfather’s place on my way home, I told him of my ‘good deed’. Grandpa reached into his pocket, took out some coins, gave them to me and said, “Go back and give Mrs. ‘L’ these so she can mail her cards”. Each month, many of you provide support, both prayer and financial to missionaries and workers in the AIM family. For that we are truly thankful! Because of you, our ministry is advancing; unreached people groups are hearing the Good News, and we are closer to the triumphant return of Christ. How does the greeting card and stamp story connect here? In every charity, there are at least two streams of funding for the work. The ‘field costs’, or in our case the funds for particular programs and personal support funds for the missionaries. The second is our ‘shared costs’, often referred to as the General Fund. These are the costs of our Canada based operation. Shared costs such as health insurance, worker’s compen- sation, emergency evacuation reserves, training, precise accounting practices to meet the strict requirements of our Canadian government for issuing tax receipts, head office building related expenses and governance. Your prayerful considering of a donation to the shared costs of AIM Canada would be a key step. A one-time, or regular more frequent donation designated to our General Fund; or perhaps a donation without a designation simply marked, ‘use where most needed’ will allow us to continue – in fact increase the field work support. In doing so, it brings us closer to the day when we will see Christ Centred Churches Among All African Peoples. For more information contact: Keith & Christine Tennant 289-686-9753 [email protected] Marilyn’s* Story Contemplations of a young woman as the realities of leaving Canada in a few days collide with the realities of being His in a “closed” location. An attempt to sum up this last week in Canada We sat on the floor eating her traditional Libyan ‘Goodbye dish’ for me with our hands, scoop- ing the almost raw-tasting dough and dipping it in date paste and ghee. She doesn’t understand why I would leave here, and leave her, to go there to teach English when I could just stay and continue to teach people like her. It’s moments like this that I’m not so sure I understand either. She is a tough and feisty friend of mine and yet I leave her bawling on the doorstep while I drive away, the ball of raw dough sitting heavy in my stomach. The raw reality of this next year is beginning to sit more heavily upon me, as I ponder what this might actually be. My childhood fantasies and selfish dreams of being some hero that starts a world- known charity in Africa with press recognition, being invited to write magazine arti- cles and countless blogs received with words of praise flooding in are long gone.